The King's Landing Trials: A Deal & a Trial of the Seven

In this pretty speculative post, I thought it would be fun to discuss a potential plot route that GRRM could take for Maegary and Cersei's trials in The Winds of Winter.

Background

At the end of ADWD, both Maegary Tyrell and Cersei Lannister are on trial for their crimes. While Maergary has chosen to be tried by the Faith, Cersei has chosen trial by battle:

My Margaery prefers to be tried by the Faith, so the whole realm can bear witness to her innocence." -ADWD, Epilogue

and:

But she dare not let the Faith sit in judgment on her, as that Margaery Tyrell meant to do. That might serve the little rose well enough, but Cersei had few friends amongst the septas and sparrows around this new High Septon. Her only hope was trial by battle, and for that she must needs have a champion. -ADWD, Cersei iI

and:

We have two queens to try for high treason, you may recall. My niece has elected trial by battle, she informs me. Ser Robert Strong will champion her." -ADWD, Epilogue

The Trial of Margaery Tyrell

I think Margaery wins her trial due to the following:

She is being tried with the Tyrell army outside the city

If your daughter is as innocent as you'd have us believe, why must you have your army present when she faces her accusers? Ser Kevan might have asked. -ADWD, Epilogue

Mace (likely) has marched on Storm's End

we must destroy Connington and his pretender now, before Daenerys Stormborn can come west."

Mace Tyrell crossed his arms. "I mean to do just that, ser. After the trials." -ADWD, Epilogue

and:

There is an army descending on Storm’s End from King’s Landing. You will want to be safe inside the walls before the battle.” -TWOW, Arianne II

but we do have 6 prisoners being held by Qyburn who all accuse her:

• Tallad the Tall, Lambert Turnberry, Hugh Clifton, Mark Mullendore, Bayard Norcross and Jalabhar Xho

who will likely need to withdraw their accusation (and face those consequences) or have some kind of trial themselves..

Cersei's Trial by Battle

Anyone of importance in King's Landing likely knows who Robert Strong is:

"Tell me, ser, where did this man come from?" demanded Mace Tyrell. "Why have we never heard his name before? He does not speak, he will not show his face, he is never seen without his armor. Do we know for a certainty that he is even a knight?"

We do not even know if he's alive. Meryn Trant claimed that Strong took neither food nor drink, and Boros Blount went so far as to say he had never seen the man use the privy. Why should he? Dead men do not shit. Kevan Lannister had a strong suspicion of just who this Ser Robert really was beneath that gleaming white armor. A suspicion that Mace Tyrell and Randyll Tarly no doubt shared. Whatever the face hidden behind Strong's helm, it must remain hidden for now. The silent giant was his niece's only hope. And pray that he is as formidable as he appears. -ADWD, Epilogue

and even if the High Septon doesn't exactly know who it is, the fact remains that it would be probably pretty dumb to just send one of newly made Warrior's Sons to go get slaughtered. What could potentially happen is that GRRM reminds us of Ungregor's strength with a preview:

Osfryd/Osmund Kettleblack

They are currently held prisoner in the Red Keep and if they don't want to go to the Wall, they have the option to face Ungregor:

“Osney’s brothers will not stand by idly and watch him die,” Cersei warned him.

“I did not expect that they would. I’ve had the both of them arrested.”

That seemed to take her aback. “For what crime?”

“Fornication with a queen. His High Holiness says that you confessed to bedding both of them—had you forgotten?”

Her face reddened. “No. What will you do with them?”

“The Wall, if they admit their guilt. If they deny it, they can face Ser Robert. Such men should never have been raised so high.” -ADWD, Epilogue

with these feat of strength/arms I think the High Septon will decide on another course of action for the Trial with Ser Robert... a Trial of the Seven.

Trial of the Seven

I am not the first to theorize this (this isn't even the first time I have posted about this), but in order to combat unGregor's size/strength, I think the Faith chooses to go with a Trial of the Seven reminiscent of both Maegor the Cruel and The Hedge Knight.

The Queen's Champions

In addition to Ser Robert Strong (and if she is allowed non Kingsguard champions), Cersei/Qyburn would need to find 6 more champions to stand on her behalf. Where might she find someone? How about Qyburn's prisoners? There are exactly 6 of them and their accusation runs through Cersei/Qyburn:

"Gladly." Alone, the Blue Bard's confession would never suffice. Singers lied for their living, after all. Alla Tyrell would be of great help, if Taena could deliver her. "Ser Osney shall confess as well. The others must be made to understand that only through confession can they earn the king's forgiveness, and the Wall." Jalabhar Xho would find the truth attractive. About the rest she was less certain, but Qyburn was persuasive . . . -AFFC, Cersei IX

so we have:

"Osney Kettleblack and the Blue Bard are here, beneath the sept. The Redwyne twins have been declared innocent, and Hamish the Harper has died. The rest are in the dungeons under the Red Keep, in the charge of your man Qyburn."

Qyburn, thought Cersei. That was good, one straw at least that she could clutch. Lord Qyburn had them, and Lord Qyburn could do wonders. And horrors. He can do horrors as well. -ADWD, Cersei I

• Mark Mullendore
• Hugh Clifton
• Bayard Norcross
• Tallad the Tall
• Lambert Turnberry
• Jalabhar Xho

And while I could type a ton of pointless stuff about how Mullendore lost his pet monkey and Jalabhar is a good archer, for the purpose of this post, I thought the only relevant quotes I could find where the following:

• Ser Tallad the Tall is a tall, good looking hedge knight (possible descendant of Dunk?) who has three eyes on his shield and is mentioned as a good fighter, but he has a glaring weakness that a good fighter will pick up on:

"There are a hundred whorehouses in this city where a clipped copper will buy me all the cunt I want," Bronn answered, "but one day my life may hang on how close I've watched your louts." He stood. "Who's the boy in the checkered blue surcoat with the three eyes on his shield?"

"Some hedge knight. Tallad, he names himself. Why?"

Bronn pushed a fall of hair from his eyes. "He's the best of them. But watch him, he falls into a rhythm, delivering the same strokes in the same order each time he attacks." He grinned. "That will be the death of him, the day he faces me." -ACOK, Tyrion IV

and:

• Mark Mullendore who was one of Brienne's "suitors" who played that cruel game on her.

There were great lords and noble knights in that company too: sour old Lord Celtigar, the Red Crab; Ser Bonifer the Good; Lord Estermont, more ancient even than Celtigar; Lord Varner, who hobbled the length of the hall on a shattered knee, but would accept no help; Ser Mark Mullendore, grey-faced, his left arm gone to the elbow; fierce Red Ronnet of Griffin Roost; Ser Dermot of the Rainwood; Lord Willum and his sons Josua and Elyas; Ser Jon Fossoway; Ser Timon the Scrapesword; Aurane, the bastard of Driftmark; Lord Staedmon, called Pennylover; hundreds of others. -ACOK, Sansa VIII

and:

And Mark Mullendore took a wound that cost him half his arm."

Good, Brienne wanted to say. Good, he deserved it. But she remembered Mullendore sitting outside his pavilion with his monkey on his shoulder in a little suit of chain mail, the two of them making faces at each other. What was it Catelyn Stark had called them, that night at Bitterbridge? The knights of summer. And now it was autumn and they were falling like leaves. . . . -AFFC, Brienne III

It should also be noted that Jaime observes several of these men practicing (in addition to Loras):

Ser Tallad the Tall lost his mount when the sandbag came around and thumped him in the head. Strongboar struck the shield so hard he cracked it. Kennos of Kayce finished the destruction. A new shield was hung for Ser Dermot of the Rainwood. Lambert Turnberry only struck a glancing blow, but Beardless Jon Bettley, Humfrey Swyft, and Alyn Stackspear all scored solid hits, and Red Ronnet Connington broke his lance clean. Then the Knight of Flowers mounted up and put the others all to shame.

Jousting was three-quarters horsemanship, Jaime had always believed. Ser Loras rode superbly, and handled a lance as if he'd been born holding one . . . which no doubt accounted for his mother's pinched expression. He puts the point just where he means to put it, and seems to have the balance of a cat. Perhaps it was not such a fluke that he unhorsed me. It was a shame that he would never have the chance to try the boy again. He left the whole men to their sport. -AFFC, Jaime II

The Faith's Champions

If interested: Trial by Combat: The Faith's Champion

We know that a large number of knights have already joined the Warrior's Sons (let's remember that Cersei has given the Faith the right to rearm themselves):

Close to a hundred knights had already come forth to pledge their lives and swords to the Warrior's Sons, Qyburn claimed, and more turned up every day. Drunk on the gods, the lot of them. Who would have thought the realm contained so many of them? -AFFC, Cersei VIII

but there are only a named few, primarily those who escort Cersei on her walk of shame:

• Theodan Wells

In the Hall of Lamps, a dozen Warrior's Sons awaited her coming. Rainbow cloaks hung down their backs, and the crystals that crested their greathelms glittered in the lamplight. Their armor was silver plate polished to a mirror sheen, but underneath, she knew, every man of them wore a hair shirt. Their kite shields all bore the same device: a crystal sword shining in the darkness, the ancient badge of those the smallfolk called Swords.

Their captain knelt before her. "Perhaps Your Grace will recall me. I am Ser Theodan the True, and His High Holiness has given me command of your escort. My brothers and I will see you safely through the city."

Cersei's gaze swept across the faces of the men behind him. And there he was: Lancel, her cousin, Ser Kevan's son, who had once professed to love her, before he decided that he loved the gods more. My blood and my betrayer. She would not forget him. "You may rise, Ser Theodan. I am ready." -ADWD, Cerse II

• Lancel Lannister

Most had been household knights and hedge knights, but a handful were of high birth; younger sons, petty lords, old men wanting to atone for the old sins. And then there was Lancel. She had thought Qyburn must be japing when he had told her that her mooncalf cousin had forsaken castle, lands, and wife and wandered back to the city to join the Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior's Sons, yet there he stood with the other pious fools. -AFFC, Cersei VIII

• 5 Others

While it is possible/likely that the other 5 will be warrior's sons as well (that was what happened in Maegor's trial), there are a few other characters that could also make an appearance on this side:

Loras Tyrell

The Tyrells have put out that Loras is "dying of his wounds" received from his assault on Dragonstone. Not sure if I believe them. Loras and Gregor have been potentially setup to fight for awhile now:

Lord Eddard!" The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. "I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you."

Littlefinger chuckled. "Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man's justice."

"I do not fear Gregor Clegane," Ser Loras said haughtily. -AGOT, Eddard XI

and:

Ser is saying not a word, just brooding on the Knight o' Pansies and that bugger's trick he played. -ACOK, Arya VII

If interested: Gregor Clegane v. Loras Tyrell

Sandor Clegane

Ya, I don't really think Cleganebowl happens either (including for completion's sake, please don't @ me), but Sandor is currently on the Quiet Isle (Gravedigger) and is "lame". But in the Hedge Knight, don't forget someone fought in the Trial of the Seven with a broken leg:

"I had heard your leg was broken."

"You heard the truth" Hardyng said. "I cannot walk. But so long as I can sit a horse, I can fight." -The Hedge Knight

Dorne

Lady Nym and Tyene are both en route to King's Landing. Lady Nym to take the Dornish seat on the small council and Tyene to go to the Faith:

That task will be yours, Nymeria. The Lannisters will not like it, no more than they liked it when I sent them Oberyn, but they dare not refuse**. We need a voice in council, an ear at court.** Be careful, though. King's Landing is a pit of snakes."

Lady Nym smiled. "Why, Uncle, I love snakes." -ADWD, The Watcher

and:

"Your mother was a septa. Oberyn once told me that she read to you in the cradle from the Seven-Pointed Star. I want you in King's Landing too, but on the other hill. The Swords and the Stars have been re-formed, and this new High Septon is not the puppet that the others were. Try and get close to him." -ADWD, The Watcher

they are already suspicious about Gregor's death.

Bonifer Hasty

No real evidence, just based on reputation ("Holy Hundred") and the fact that Jaime thinks about him returning to King's Landing:

He took his own supper in Hunter's Hall with Ser Bonifer Hasty, a solemn stork of a man prone to salting his speech with appeals to the Seven. "I want none of Ser Gregor's followers," he declared as he was cutting up a pear as withered as he was, so as to make certain that its nonexistent juice did not stain his pristine purple doublet, embroidered with the white bend cotised of his House. "I will not have such sinners in my service." -AFFC, Jaime III

If interested: The Current Situation in King's Landing

TLDR: With Cersei/Margaery's Trials taking place in TWoW, I think its possible that GRRM could use the situation (Dealing with Margaery's 6 accusers after her trial) combined with Cersei's Trial by Combat. The High Septon will decide that a Trial of Seven will honor the gods and will summon 7 Warrior's Sons (unless GRRM decides he wants other characters involved) to fight Robert Strong and Margaery's 6 accusers.